


Break the Chains

by IlloustriousTaco



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi is a cat, Brief Velvet Room interlude, Canon Compliant, Fix-It of Sorts, Igor Don't Care, It's Not Paranoia If They're Really Out To Get You, M/M, Psychopathic bastards, Scaring the Monsters, Spoilers eventually but not yet, head games, kind of, no beta we die like men, threw cannon out the window, until it's not
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:11:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21750538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IlloustriousTaco/pseuds/IlloustriousTaco
Summary: Akechi  Goro and Kurusu Akira have been playing a game since the moment they met. It's just words. It's just a burning passion to find out what the other is hiding behind their mild mask of civility. Every conversation has been layers deep, death threats hidden behind common pleasantries, and they aren't subtle about it at all.Futaba is running a betting pool on weather they're going to kill each other, or do something a lot more carnal.Also known as in the Murder/Marry/Bang game? They both chose each other... for all three, though not necessarily in that order.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 6
Kudos: 44





	1. Up In the Air

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT: Forgot to put my note in O.o 
> 
> So... I finished P5 about two weeks ago for the first time... after buying it about two weeks before that... I'm thoroughly addicted to the potential of the story lines in this game. The day after I finished the game (for the first time... 195 hours and 53 minutes... why... XD) I started this. Most of it was written very quickly, and I originally intended to only have two chapters. 
> 
> I realized at the end of the second chapter there was no way in HELL I could leave it there. Sooo… since I'm halfway through chapter three I thought I would post these. 
> 
> Remember: Feed the Evil Author comments to speed up production.

It started off rather innocently, a mild quip here that could become a scathing burn if one looked under the surface. It started long before Akechi blackmailed the group into helping him, and continued unabated and unashamed throughout. Joker wondered if anyone else realized the level that he and Akechi were dueling at when they spoke with each other.

Every word was veiled in double and triple meanings, every polite expression and quiet tone was a subtle mockery of normal human interactions. Somewhere in his heart, hidden so many layers deep that even Joker didn’t know what all his defenses were, he wondered if Akechi could really see straight through him. More often than not it felt that way, like with every word, and subtle glance he could straight to the core of Joker, see Akira in all of his insecure disgusting savagery.

And it was savagery, the soft spoken brown haired boy pulling something very like predatory intention straight from he core of him.

It made him burn, shoving everything civilized away and filling him with a dark desire that couldn’t be described by any words he knew.

The fact that Akechi lived in the same world he did was just an intoxicating bonus.

Joker knew from the first moment that they spoke, right there on live television, that they were the same. He hadn’t expected to feel that need to destroy the perfect mask the other boy wore, had barely contained the savagery to one thinly veiled insult when asked his opinion about what Akechi was saying.

Then the detective had responded, and their game of cat and mouse had started in earnest.

There was no way that Joker could tell who was who at any given moment. Sometimes he felt like the cat, predatory and powerful, and sometimes he felt like the mouse, barely keeping his composure and hoping his wit was enough to keep his opponent from loosing interest.

He never wanted Akechi to loose interest, and in fact was more determined with every encounter to rip the mask away and find out what that calm, fake smile hid. It was a good thing he couldn’t seek Akechi out whenever he wanted, or it would have blossomed into full blown obsession. Joker was under no delusions about the weakness in his own heart after all, and he wanted every ounce of Akechi’s attention on himself and himself alone.

He knew exactly how unhealthy it was and still wanted to see every hidden piece of the other dragged out into the light for Joker’s pleasure. The fact that he knew for sure that Akechi wanted him dead did nothing to diminish Joker’s perverse need, instead fueling the fire and stoking it to a harsh blaze that Joker was certain would burst through his flesh any moment now.

His teammates noticed. How could they not when Joker and Crow carried on quiet, well mannered conversations as often as they did? The infiltration of the casino was going ridiculously well, and Joker wanted to revel in being so close to Akechi and his stupid, perfect mask.

It was Panther’s voice that drew them out of their quiet, snarky conversation, looking between them with at first confusion then realization before dragging Joker away from the group. Ostensibly to check for treasure, but her quiet words were like a douse of cold water.

They did nothing for the bonfire that Joker could feel beneath his skin, but he felt them nonetheless.

“If you don’t stop flirting with the enemy, everyone is going to notice,” she said quietly, before her bright smile and the actress enthusiasm came back to the fore front. It didn’t do any good, like moth and flame, it didn’t take long for Joker and Akechi to come together again, a new conversation starting.

If he had bothered to look, if either of them had attention for anything beyond each other, they would have realized that one by one the other Phantom Thieves were drawing their own conclusions.

Oracle, smarter than the rest and following at least the first few pastry thin layers of their conversations, looked between them before sighing loudly.

“So… are you two going to kill each other or fuck? I really can’t tell at this point,” it was enough to have Joker backing away, amusement insulating him from the fire within, and from the twitch of Akechi’s eye, near hidden under his masks, they would have to call a truce for now. The rest of the group of course vehemently denied seeing what she was talking about, even Panther, and Queen lectured their youngest member about her uncharacteristic language.

* * *

  
He could tell that Kurusu was unimpressed with the trap when it finally sprung. He didn’t even need to be there when the illustrious leader of the Phantom Thieves was caught to know it.

It wasn’t even Goro’s plan, and he hatted it and Kurusu would know that within moments of making it outside. It left a foul taste in Goro’s mouth, using the Nav to bring half the police force into the distortion just to capture the Phantom Theives. He didn’t expect them to split up the way they did, but it didn’t matter as long as Kurusu was captured. That’s all Shido wanted, the leader of the Phantom Thieves. The others would be quietly taken care of in the coming year, one at a time, possibly spaced out and possibly all at once.

It was none of Goro’s concern at that point, and his stomach churned with acid at the thought that Kurusu would be gone by then.

Shido’s plan left a taste of ash and blood in his mouth, twisting his stomach with both rage and disappointment. He would never be able to find out what was under the calm, disinterested distant mask that Kurusu wore when he wasn’t wearing his mask as the leader of the Phantom Thieves.

It wasn’t like Shido cared that he was robbing yet another part of Goro’s heart away with his petty schemes. The need to find out what Kurusu was hiding, matching wits with the dark haired boy even as he felt the other digging deep into him with each interaction.

He wanted to peel away every layer the other boy had, and break him in the process. He wanted to feel every sharp edge as it cracked against his own darkness destroying both of them in the process.

It was too bad that this wasn’t something he could be allowed to have, but it was only one more sin to lay at his father’s feet. Eventually Shido would pay, at the pinnacle of his rise Goro would strike.

After all, he had long ago accepted that in order to have his revenge he would do whatever it took, even this.

He couldn’t eat or sleep as he waited, Kurusu in the depths of the police station, in the interrogation room. Nijiima-san had to be given the opportunity for her interrogation after all, there had to be something on the record from the captured _criminal_. His amusement at the irony was the only thing that kept him from doing something rash, like moving his plan to destroy Shido forward before the proper time.

For all that the Detective Prince was vocal against the methods of the Phantom Thieves, Goro couldn’t care less about what they did to who in the other world, their Metaverse.

Holding back for the hours it took for Nijiima-san to ask her questions, and perhaps even get some answers, was the hardest thing he had done yet, but eventually his waiting was finally over and it was time to end their little game. Their verbal wars would end today, long before Goro was ready for it.

So focused was he that he barely registered the interaction with Nijiima-san in the hallway, only noting that delaying to talk to her was a waste of sweet time. He paid no mind to Kurusu’s phone, knowing that even if she bothered to check the apps the Navi wouldn’t react for her. He wondered if Kurusu knew that, in a distant kind of way, the same way he wondered if it was going to rain next week.

A gentle smile, and a few words ensured that the Guard came into the cell with him, and for now he ignored the leader of the Phantom Thieves sitting in the small, barren room taking the Guards gun and shooting the man in the back.

He realized he had acted far too fast when he turned and saw Kurusu staring at him, eyes blank and glazed. Syringes littered the floor, attesting to why the other boy didn’t react. He wondered what they had given him, but it wasn’t important in the face of the bruises and cuts on that pretty gray eyed face.

He hoped Shido wouldn’t mind loosing the men who had been in on the interrogation before he fell, because Goro was going to hunt down every person who had laid a finger on Kurusu and destroy them. The hypocrisy of what he was about to do wasn’t lost on him at all, even as he let his mask slip.

“Looks like you were outwitted after all, Kurusu-kun,” he stated, bringing the gun up and leveling it between his rival’s eyes. He could feel his own masks slipping, desperate to draw some kind of emotion from those gray, drug glazed eyes.

One gloved hand reached forward, tangling in wild black locks and twisting the other boy’s head back. “I suppose it doesn’t matter how, but it seems like our game is over,” he hissed, pain coming through his clenched teeth and his manic grin.

He knew well what his real smile looked like, he had seen it in the mirror often enough while practicing the smiles he could give to his adoring public after all.

Nothing flickered in dark gray eyes, and an empty hollow feeling began to eat away in Goro’s gut. Need drew him forward, his grip on black hair tightening as he crushed his lips savagely into the prisoners.

Something was wrong as the other didn’t react to him, lips like cool blocks of lead under his own. Had the drugs destroyed what there was of his rival, depriving Goro of this one last selfish bit of their game?

No… Goro drew back in disgust, a wide goblin grin covering his features even as his eyes narrowed. It was a shadow… If he hurried, he might be able to catch the real Kurusu before he escaped, whisked away. Once he realized, there was no mistaking the prickle along his skin that heralded the Metaverse, the energy that always stoked at something dark inside of him.

He started to laugh, even as he leveled the gun once more at the shadow’s head, pulling far enough away that none of splatter would hit him.

“Clever, clever boy,” he purred, pulling the trigger and watching the body fall.

It took less than a few seconds to finish doctoring the scene, but he had time. The station cameras were off and it would be crucial hours before the ‘body’ was found.

When he caught up to him, Goro would have to ask Kurusu how he had done the swap, but until then he reigned in his bloodthirsty grin, plastering the princely smile upon his face as he left the station. Just because no one else would ever get their hands on the uncorrupted security footage, didn’t mean he wasn’t playing to an audience.

It seemed for now that their game was far from over after all.


	2. Bad Penny Lands

It wasn’t so simple, it never was when Kurusu was involved and Goro wouldn’t change that for the world, even if all he wanted to do was storm into Leblanc and claim what was rightfully his.

He wanted to see every bruise and cut in person, and add his own touches. It was a thrill to wonder if Kurusu was still vulnerable and locked within his own mind by the haze of drugs. If it would have been even a little easier to explain away after, he would have rushed to find out despite wanting to win properly.

Goro waited instead. He knew already who Kurusu’s next target would be, so he kept a close watch on Shido. He didn’t expect what he saw, the corrupt bastard’s paranoia increasing.

It was a clear sign when to follow the Theives to the Metaverse. As always, Shido’s palace made his gut twist in rage, but he took a perverse joy in the fact that it was going to be torn to shreds one way or another soon.

He wasn’t even going to try to lie and say he wouldn’t be overjoyed to see this display of opulence and debauchery go down in flames.

The shadows were his ally as he stalked the Phantom Thieves, but they also gave him away. No one caught sight of him, he knew they didn’t, but he did get close enough to see the little smirk on Kurusu’s face. Just a crack in the mask, and it made Goro’s blood boil.

He wanted… no he needed to break that mask and see what Kurusu was hiding underneath. It was like torture waiting for the proper moment, watching as the Thieves slipped around shadows, conserving their strength. Goro couldn’t wait for it to end, and he couldn’t bear the thought of this delicious tension finally snapping.

Then it was time. They had managed to do what he had failed to in his many forays into Shido’s palace and gathered up the keys to open the door in their way.

“Well done, Phantom Theives,” Goro’s voice rang through the empty bay, his gloved hands giving a slow clap as he stepped forward. Kurusu could hear the mockery in his voice, and Goro could almost see the game board stretching out between them.

They were all pawns, in their own ways, and this was just the final act.

Bladed words, baited words. Things like rivals and friends, things that cut deeply behind the mask. The pain was exquisite.

The game board was his stage as he took a great deal of pleasure revealing his plans to the Phantom Thieves… it wasn’t like it mattered. One way or another, this would be over soon. There was shock on their faces when he revealed that Shido was his father, only Kurusu not reacting the way Goro had expected.

Their leader was silent, with that smirk on his face as the others picked up the conversation. Goro continued to speak anyways, drawing out this final confrontation until it was time to show them the truth.

“Even the feeblest existence can gain tremendous power, once the chains on it’s heart are broken,” he explained, as Oracle tried to analyze what he had done to the shadows he summoned.

Contrary, probably just to be contrary at this point, to the point Goro was trying to make, Kurusu stepped back, that mocking smirk on his face as he let the others fight the empowered shadows.

It was so obvious he was conserving his strength for their real confrontation, just like Goro was. Even he had to admit how impressed he was that the others managed so handily against the psychotic shadows.

“Of course I didn’t expect you to be defeated by them… I wouldn’t give up my chance to massacre you with my own two hands!”

“Looking forward to it,” the calm, quiet way Kurusu said it made Goro’s rage all the sweeter.

A few blows, a few spells… and Goro couldn’t help but start laughing.

“So neither of us had shown our true strength… Don’t underestimate me!”

Kurusu must have seen something that gave him away, because suddenly he had given the others the signal to draw back. Goro let them, because it suited his purposes just fine.

“Strike him down, Robin Hood!” he snarled, though the grin on his face as Kurusu dodged was enough to give him away. The pain was glorious as Goro fell at least to a worthy opponent.

Then the other thieves started talking and it was enough to infuriate Goro. Friendship? Is that what they all thought was the goal of this game? Is that what the goal was? No… it was more than that, it was the ability to look into his mirror’s eyes and see clearly.

He was revealing far too much, but it was too late to stop now. He was breaking first and he could feel it.

“I wonder how far I can go with this? You wanted to see my powers didn’t you? Fine… I’ll show them to you… All I care about now is killing all of you… **To prove I’m better than you!** I’ll show you who I really am. Come… LOKI!”

The words kept coming, the floodgates were open even as he broke the chains on his own heart.

The phantom thieves stepped forward, only for them to be waved off again by Kurusu, and as Goro focused on him he could only see that infuriating smirk. Kurusu had already won… but Goro was still going to make him work for it.

“I’ll reveal your true form,” the leader of the Phantom Thieves said, stepping forward, and even in his crazed state Goro knew it was a bad idea. He did it anyways, the lance of his power crashing into Kurusu and breaking the chains of his heart as well.

“Fine then… show me who you really are.”

* * *

  
Joker could feel the tenuous hold on his emotions shatter as Crow’s magic coursed through him.

“What? Why would… he’s turned Joker psychotic as well!” he heard Oracle’s panic.

“Wh… why the hell would he do that?” Skull shouted, and Joker felt himself laughing, feeling his face ready to split with the joy of it. He was unfettered, and it felt great.

“We have to help him!” Panther started to run forward, and Joker growled.

“Psyiodyne!” he screamed, the attack not aimed at his rival, his mirror image who took the moment of his distraction to attack. But it got Panther to back off, out of this clash of Wild Cards.

Joker let it hit, and retaliated with a fierce jab of his dagger. They were both going to be bloody shreds if they survived this… which was the only difference between himself and Crow at this point.

Joker knew they were going to survive… Crow didn’t seem to realize it yet. Joker had already won, and he used that ruthlessly to his advantage.

The others continued their commentary, but Joker couldn’t listen now. If one of them got too close, he sent a spell their way to get them to back off, and Crow was doing the same. They both needed this particular battle to be one on one.

Crow’s blade went flying… and so did Joker’s dagger, skittering across the floor, and they didn’t stop. He heard a sob behind him, but the battle wasn’t over. He caught Crow’s fist, and Crow caught his fist. Joker’s body was shaking with exhaustion, but so was Crow’s…

“I win,” he panted, the smirk on his face wide as his booted foot viciously lashed into the side of Crow’s knee, catching the other just off guard enough for him to grasp Crow’s mask, tearing it away from his face to shatter it on the unforgiving ground.

In hindsight he should have expected the vicious grip that tore away his own mask.

“There you are…” he almost purred, looking into Crow’s eyes even as Crow looked into him. It was delightful and too much. He knew the others couldn’t see the unspoken signal that let Joker and Crow stagger away from each other, their chipped masks laying together on the ground between them.

There were matching grins on their faces though, even as they were both panting. Joker was the first one who couldn’t stand anymore, dropping to one knee, though Crow was only a moment behind him.

“Feeling better?” Joker asked, his rough voice still mocking even as Crow began to chuckle.

“Much,” the corvid named Thief laughed.

“Wait… is that…” Queen started, and Joker’s good mirth was gone as he watched Akechi walk up behind Crow. Joker was exhausted, but as the cognitive double pulled a gun on Crow his blood began to boil again.

They were arguing, and he could almost feel the emotional turmoil of his teammates.

“I’ll give you one last chance… shoot them,” the double demanded, and Joker grinned even as Crow stood up, wondering what he had planned.

“You’re the one who’s going to disappear!” Crow snarled, a snap second and fast reflexes letting him turn and shoot the double in the gut.

Just that fast a second shot rang out, clipping through Joker’s hair and past Nior’s shoulder before slamming into some part of the system behind them.

“The watertight bulkhead door has been closed. All personnel within the partition wall, evacuate at once,” the system announced.

Joker was exhausted, his body almost hiding the trembling of the boat around him as steel began to rise.

He moved anyways. He had dodged lasers and shadows with less warning than this after all, and despite Crow’s clear intentions he was on the other side of the partition as it slammed into place, his teammates crying out behind him.

He was drawing his gun even as he came out of his roll, the shock in Crow’s eyes worth it as he leveled the barrel to the double’s face. Two shots rang out… the gun in the doubles hand had already been raised towards Crow and there was no turning it aside, but he hadn’t had as much time to aim for a clean shot as he would have needed to take the detective prince out.

Joker’s shot was right against the double’s temple sending the shadow flying even as it began to dissipate into the darkness of the Metaverse.

“Don’t fucking touch him,” he snarled in satisfaction.

Even without the shadow there though they were in trouble. Joker and Crow were already both severely wounded, and there were too many shadows for them to take care of by themselves. He could hear his team on the other side of the bulk head, someone was pounding against the steel…

But there was nothing they could do now.

* * *

  
“NO!” Oracle’s scream held so much pain as she her scans showed Joker and Crow’s signs fade away and disappear. “Th… their signal… it’s gone… b… but the weaklings are still there…” she sobbed, falling to her knees, even as Queen and Skull redoubled their efforts to get through the thick steel door. Panther and Inari were there, the blond older girl wrapping Oracle into a tight embrace.

“We can’t stay here…” Mona said, his ears and tail twitching in agitation. “We’ll be swarmed in moments if we don’t leave now. Queen, please!”

Futaba could barely pay attention as their smallest member dragged at their secondary leader, pulling her away from the bulk head.

“We… we have to go… they’re already closing in…” Futaba informed the others, unable to mask the pain in her voice.

They were running then, and thankfully the nearest safe room was close enough to get to quickly.

Oracle collapsed again, and she wasn’t the only one sobbing. They weren’t actually safe yet, but Ryuji was already pulling up the Nav, ready to use it to jump back to the entrance of the Palace. Even if they had the strength to continue on, and none of them did… not today, they needed to leave. Emotions were too riled up, Futaba could hear Panther and Nior shouting at each other, could see the too tight lines of Queen’s face beneath her steel mask.

They were arguing, but there was nothing for it. Skull had already jumped them to the entrance…

Where they all stared at the bodies that were a tangle of limbs bleeding out before them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **cackling madly** Goho-M... you're Knackered. Also known as that moment the story takes a wild left field out of cannon and goes careening out of control. Let's see how the boys weather the rapids up ahead. 
> 
> I really want to know what people think of this XD...


	3. Call it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's hard sitting on a finished chapter... like really hard.

He wasn’t sure he had expected to wake up. No… he hadn’t expected to wake up at all, and it would do no good to lie to himself. The soft glow and distant singing explained a few things as he opened his eyes, his velvet lined prison cell greeting him.

He was more than a little sick of being dragged into the velvet room at inopportune times and with a sigh he reached up to push some of the hair from his eyes. It took him a moment to realize something was different, the subtle clink of the chains he wore somehow subdued, and their weight lighter than he was used to.

It wasn’t until he looked at them though that he realized that the chains were turning to dust before his very eyes.

“On your feet inmate!” Caroline shouted, her baton slamming into the bars of his cell door, and he couldn’t hold back the grin that covered his features as he obeyed. He still wore the black and white striped prison uniform, but all of the chains were gone, even the one around his ankle a pile of so much dust in his wake, leaving the weight that had dragged him down far behind as he approached the cell bars.

Two surprised faces pulled back, wariness evident in the set of eyes shared between them.

“O… our master has important words for you!” Caroline bristled, obviously trying to keep some semblance of control on the situation.

“You would do well to head him, Inmate,” Justine added, and Akira couldn’t help but chuckle as he looked past the twins to where Igor sat at his plush desk, watching.

“What will it be then?” Akira asked, ignoring Caroline’s reflexive slamming of her baton into the cell doors. “More cryptic advice about a tenuous ruin? Or perhaps you’ll give me something more concrete now that my bond with the other Wild Card has come to fruition.”

“What…”

“Shut up Inmate!”

Joker snarled at them, both of the girls taking a reflexive step back before he returned his attention to the chuckling Igor. No longer chained, it took a moment for Akira to reign his emotions in. He stood with poise and confidence despite the prison uniform still garbing him, tucking his hands into pockets he was certain hadn’t been there before.

“I see. What do you think you understand, Trickster?” Igor asked, the words full of good cheer and amusement. It was so obvious that Akira wasn’t sure how he hadn’t seen before, and he smirked at Igor, inviting the other to draw his own conclusions.

A thousand little facts all added up in his mind, watching the chuckling mask that the other wore. Whoever this creature was, and privately in his own mind Akira had speculated quite a lot, he wasn’t on Akira’s side. It wasn’t him at all that Akira had a bond with, and he felt the chains of the Fool Arcana shatter as surely as any other chains on his heart as he realized that he was the Fool.

“I see. I had thought for certain that by now the Game would be over. One or the other of the Pawns should have been knocked off the board at this point, yet both of you remain. I will observe for a time longer then,” Igor’s deep resonating voice scratched at Akira’s temper, but he wasn’t going to give anything away to this creature.

“Observe all you like,” Akira spat, his grin not slipping, a conscious decision to hold onto his mask… for now. He didn’t wait to be dismissed, and he didn’t miss the looks of matching unease and fear on Justine and Caroline’s features. He didn’t know how he would do it, but he was going to help them next, vowing in his heart that the goblin at his desk would be his next target.

His eyes fluttered open to see the familiar dust covered beams of his attic home, and he bought his hand up to look at his wrists more out of reflex than the fear that used to plague him that the chains would come with him back to the real world.

“You’re awake!” Morgana’s voice drew him from his contemplation and he looked at the cat form in front of him, reaching out with a smile to take his friend and draw him into a gentle hug.

“Sorry I worried you,” he stated, sitting himself up and still holding Morgana as the cat started to cry.

“We thought you were dead, you idiot! I don’t know how you could have done that… or why, what were you thinking!” the cat started, but Akira silenced him with a kiss to his fuzzy little head before putting him aside. He had never been so openly affectionate with any of his friends before, and Morgana was obviously taken aback as Akira stood up, stretching.

He hurt all over, like he had been through a meat tenderizer and it was glorious. The bone deep exhaustion was gone though, and he didn’t need the experience he had to know that the manic energy that had replaced it wasn’t a good thing at all.

“Morgana… where is he?” he asked, turning a smile to his cat that he knew could no longer hide the darkness inside. He would pursue his own selfish justice no matter the consequences, and would burn in Hell when the time came, but no longer would he also deny the desires of his heart.

Thankfully Morgana didn’t even try to be coy, luminescent blue eyes looking at Akira for a moment before the cat sighed and looked away.

“He’s at Dr. Takemi’s clinic around the corner. We… we didn’t think it would be a good idea to leave him unsupervised, so Queen is also there, keeping an eye on him.”

* * *

  
Goro hadn’t expected to wake up at all, considering the circumstances in which he had lost consciousness. The last thing he remembered was being shot, for example, never mind that his goody two shoes rival had apparently been suicidal enough to **jump over the damn bulkhead** as it slammed up. Goro had meant to trap his cognitive double away from the Phantom Thieves. It was far more dangerous than any of the other shadows those fools had dealt with on this cursed ship, a cognitive being created and tailored to being able to oppose him.

Undoubtedly it would have been at least as problematic as getting the letters of recommendation, which might have been too problematic after what Goro put them through.

Looking around, Goro pushed himself into a sitting position. The younger Niijima sister sat in a chair nearby, reddish brown eyes staring at him intently. Goro ignored her for the moment, looking around and wondering exactly what was wrong… no, not wrong, but something was very different. Even as his eyes took in the clinical setting, ironically a hospital of some kind or perhaps an actual clinic, he was trying to figure out what *felt* different.

Being in some kind of doctors office was probably better than being dead in a ditch… probably.

“It’s about time you woke up,” Nijiima said, her tone prim and abrupt and teeming with an scorn that simply amused Goro at this point.

“To be quite honest, it’s a surprise to wake up at all,” Goro stated, trying and failing to capture his usual placid calm. He watched her face pale slightly though her eyes remained hard. Some beast had taken control of his tongue though and he couldn’t seem to shut up even as he saw her temper spark. “I would have thought you at least would have done the smart thing, Nijiima-san. You always did strike me as more focused than Kurusu-kun.”

“*We* aren’t murderers,” Nijiima snapped, and Goro couldn’t help but grin. “Although if it had been up to me, you would be in police custody instead of Dr. Takemi’s clinic.”

“Tsk tsk… and you just said you weren’t murderers,” Goro purred, off balance and aware that he couldn’t seem to hold back or hide his thoughts at the moment. “The moment any of Shido’s lackeys find out I’m in jail, I become a liability… then I die. Would you like to know exactly how much of the police force is under his thumb? Or should I just write out a list for your sister?”

“My that would be a fitting end, wouldn’t it?” Goro couldn’t help but turn every ounce of focus to the voice at the doorway, promptly forgetting about the enraged Nijiima who fumed but also turned towards where her ‘leader’ leaned against the door frame. “Shido’s pet assassin taken out by his pet cops. I’m sure the headlines would have a field day. Do you think they would use the suicide excuse again, or is it perhaps wearing a bit thin.”

Goro couldn’t help but grin, looking into Kurusu’s face. The leader of the Phantom Thieves looked like shit, to be honest, but Goro could honestly say he probably looked worse so it was no big deal. The amusing part was the savage grin on the other’s features.

“Probably. Honestly I’m not sure what other excuse they could use at this point, unless they decide on a fall guy to take the credit of course. On the upside your own _suicide_ would probably be wiped from the record as my crimes came to light,” Goro couldn’t help but goad. Somewhere in the back of his mind he realized that it was a bad idea to antagonize the leader of the Phantom Thieves… but that had never stopped him even before this sudden freedom.

His fingers twitched for his gun that wasn’t there, and he had the satisfaction of seeing Kurusu twitching in a similar way. The leader of the Phantom Thieves was reaching for a dagger he had never carried outside of the Metaverse. His expression was wide open, despite reaching for a weapon, and it was more obvious than ever that he was having fun.

Goro couldn’t deny he felt the same way, which was why he was ready, lunging forward even as Kurusu did, grabbing onto the Phantom Thief’s hands and pushing, trying to get the upper hand.

He wasn’t sure if it was because he had been more injured, or if he just didn’t want to win this test of strength, but he soon found himself pushed back against the wall.

“Wait… Akira, stop! What do you think you’re doing?” Nijiima was clearly panicking, but when she moved forward Goro was treated to a the delightful visage of Kurusu turning an absolutely chilling glare upon the brown haired girl.

“Back off, Mokoto…” he growled before turning back to Goro, who took the opportunity to press his face forward against Kurusu’s. Lips met lips and the teeth behind them clashed. Goro found himself pushed back and it was everything the kiss in the police station hadn’t been. Passion and desire ignited in Goro’s blood and he sighed in satisfaction when it was over, shuddering at the tension in his own body.

It didn’t last long as Kurusu used his grip to slam Goro again against the wall, but it was without a doubt the most satisfying experience the detective had yet experienced.

“What the hell did you do to me?” Kurusu demanded, though there was no heat in his voice, only a kind of controlled mania that made Goro start laughing.

“It’s not obvious? What do you think psychosis is? Or rather… the complete lack of illusions,” Goro couldn’t help himself, his head moved forward once more, though this time he nuzzled into that tempting little hollow of Kurusu’s neck. Kurusu smelled like coffee and cream, and Goro found himself nuzzling into that scent with something like delight. “All I did was break the chains holding you back.”

His words were a whisper directly into Kurusu’s ear, which he then proceeded to taste, his teeth and lips seeming to make the other boy shudder even as Nijiima made a confused, slightly distasteful noise. Kurusu laughed, even as Goro found himself tossed towards the bed, which creaked ominously as he landed.

“Does that mean I’m liable to go on a murdering spree then?” Kurusu asked, crossing his arms and not looking entirely displeased about the prospect. It was tempting to say yes, that he would go crazy and start killing people at a moments notice… but Goro didn’t feel like lying right now.

“If you haven’t yet, you’re not likely to, no,” Goro sighed, stretching out on the bed since his aching back wasn’t going to go away any time soon. “It’s not like a mental shut down, where the shadow dies entirely and the mind gradually looses control. A psychotic break is a big rush of emotions to start, and when used on a shadow, human or monster, cuts all the ties of self preservation and… hmm… let’s just say the desire to adhere to societies rules is drowned out by the flux of emotion,” he couldn’t help but grin staring at the ceiling. “After… well I’ve never bothered to keep track of the ‘victims’ before so this will be a learning experience for both of us.”

“You didn’t expect to survive it?” the horror in Nijiima’s voice was visceral and Goro turned a scowl to the girl.

“You’re reasonably intelligent, Nijiima-san, do at least try to keep up and stop stating the obvious,” he snapped before his attention was drawn back to Kurusu who started to chuckle.

“Don’t take your crankiness out on her, just because I won,” Kurusu purred, and Goro wanted nothing more than to return the favor and throw the dark haired boy on the bed. “Mokoto-chan… could you please text everyone and let them know there’s going to be a meeting tonight?”

“Already looking to brag about your conquests, *darling*?” Goro hissed, which only made the other boy chuckle again, one hand coming up to push at glasses which weren’t even there at the moment before it fell again.

“More like planning the last stage of infiltration. You’ll help won’t you, sweetheart?” Kurusu’s purr was enough to set fire to Goro’s blood, and he wanted nothing more than to attack the other boy right now, to pound his head against the floor and demand to know why the leader of the Phantom Thieves thought that would be a good idea. “After all… wouldn’t abject humiliation and unbearable guilt be better than mere death?”

Goro couldn’t contain the shudder of pleasure that washed over his body at the thought, and was a bit breathless as he responded.

“My what a shiny present… Let’s get started then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys are a Hot Mess, also this probably counts as Gay Disaster time. There are going to be consequences to both of them having psychotic breaks, the obvious ones being their emotions will be more volatile and impulse control? Hah... no... Also both boys might be part cat now. 
> 
> I'm about part way through the next chapter, and have decided there will be only six chapters. Do I have a plan for those chapters? No... no I do not, but hopefully I'll be able to finish that much and wrap everything up. (Be glad I didn't go with the idea to write three different paths for this... O.O good, neutral and bad)


End file.
